Gate-latch.



A. W. SPRAGUE & T. E. MULROYAN.

GATE LATCH.

APPLICATION FILED 001219, 1908,

1,024,705. Patented Apr.'30, 1912.

WITNESSES INVENTORQ il/0% m a UI TED STATES PATENT oFFioE.

ARTHUR W. SPRAGUE, OF LA GRANGE, AND THOMAS E. MULROYAN, OFJJE KALB,

ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOB-S TO THE AMERICAN STEEL AND WIRE COMPANY OF NEW JERSEY, OF HOBOKEN', NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

GATE-LATCH. 7

Patented Apr. 30, 1912, Serial No. 458,399.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ARTHUR W. SPRAGUE, of La Grange, Cook county, Illinois, and THOMAS E. MULROYAN, of De Kalb, Dekalb county, Illinois, have invented a new and useful Gate-Latch, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, ref-' erence being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a side view showing our invention applied; and Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are detail views showing the latch, to be hereinafter further referred to.

Our invention has relation to gate latches, and is designed to provide a simple and efiicient form of latch applicable for use with double gates and more particularly relates to a gate latch for double swinging gates.

Heretofore it has been customary to provide a hook or pivoted latch to slide or drop into a recess to keep the gates in position. No provision whatever has been made to lock the gates securely and hold the ends of the gates in alinement. In the construction shown herein, a wedge-shaped arm is provided which is hinged or pivoted to the end post of one of the gates and fits into a holder or keeper secured to the adjoining end post of the other gate. The outer wedge-shaped ends of the arm engage with a holder or keeper secured to the other gate so that the wedge-shaped member engages with the wedging faces on the keeper and in this way force the gates into alinement and hold the adjoining vertical end bars of both gates as firmly and securely as if they were but a single gate. The end post of the gate having the keeper secured thereon is engaged by the latch between the pivoted end of the latch and the end engaging with the keeper, in this way providing three points of support instead of 2, as in the constructions heretofore used.

Our invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which we have shown the preferred embodiment thereof, and which will now be de scribed, it being premised, however, that various changes may be made in the details of construction and arrangement of the parts, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claim.

In these drawings, the numerals2 and 3 designate two gates, which are hinged respectively to the posts 4 and 5, and which close together intermediate of the two posts. The frames of these gates are shown as formed of metal bars of flanged form, but the gate may be of any suitable construction.

6 designates a U-shaped latch lever, which is pivoted at 7 to the end bar of one of the gates. This latch lever is of bifurcated or yoke form, the pivotal connection being preferably made with one flange 8 of the end bar and the legs or arms of the latch straddling the other flanges, and also arranged to straddle the corresponding flanges of the end bar of the other gate. The closed end of this latch lever is located a sufficient distance to the rear of the end bar of the gate 3 so that the latch lever can be raised high enough to clear the end bar of the gate 2.

9 designates the latch plate or keeper, which is secured to the end bar of the other gate, and which is provided with the flanges 10 by means of which it is secured to the flange 11 of the end bar, and also having the two vertical slots or recesses 12 to receive the arms of the latch lever, in the .manner shown in Fig. 4. These grooves or recesses are preferably tapered or narrowed toward the bottom, and the latch arms have a corresponding cross-section. The manner in which the parts are applied may be clearly seen from Figs. 2 and 3.

If desired, as shown in Fig. 1, the gates may be provided with two of the latch levers and latch plates, the two levers being connected by a connecting rod 13, so that the two latches may be operated in unison to latch and release the gate.

The latch described is a very simple and efficient one, and one which can be manufactured and applied to gates of the double type at comparatively small cost.

What we claim is A gate latch for double swinging gates having an arm on each side of the adjoining end bars of the gate frames, said arms having wedge-shaped front ends, a pivot pin passing through both arms of the latch In testimony whereof, we have hereunto set our hands.

ARTHUR W. SPRAGUE. THOMAS E. MULROYAN.

Vitnesses as to Arthur W. Sprague:

J. MEAKIN, H. A. PARKS.

Witnesses as to Thomas E. Mulroyan:

V. A. KJLMER, T. D. TEMPLE.

and the end bar of one of said gate frames, the arms of the latch extending across the side faces of the end bar to which the latch is pivoted and of the adjoining end bar on the other gate frame, and a keeper engaging with the wedging faces on' the latch arms beyond the end bar of the gate frame to which the keeper is secured, said keeper having Wedging faces co-aeting with the wedging faces on the ends of the arms of said latch.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

